Thousands of Israeli settlers, under heavy police protection, have stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem to mark the contentious “Flag March,” commemorating the 1967 occupation of East Jerusalem.
During the march, settlers traversed occupied East Jerusalem, with some attacking Palestinians and shouting racist slogans. The annual demonstration, intended to mark Israel’s occupation of the city, included chants such as “Death to the Arabs” and “May your village burn,” with demonstrators waving Israeli flags and dancing throughout the city.
The parade occurred amid heightened tensions as Israel continues its offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the deaths of over 36,500 people, primarily women and children. This onslaught has caused widespread internal displacement, destruction, and famine conditions in the besieged enclave. The International Court of Justice has accused Israel of genocide, ordering measures to prevent such acts and ensure humanitarian assistance reaches Gaza’s civilians, where more than 34,100 people have been killed.
These provocative marches exploiting religious and political commemorations aim to reaffirm Israel’s control over the holy city, undermining Palestinian presence and denying Muslims their right to pray at Islam’s third-holiest site. During the settlers’ tour of the Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyards, Israeli forces imposed restrictions on Palestinian movement within the complex. The area was heavily militarized, with 3,000 officers deployed in the Old City and its surroundings, ostensibly to secure the settlers’ march, especially at the Al-Aqsa gates.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli officials, Knesset members, and settlers, viewing it as a blatant violation of international law and the Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem’s holy sites. The ministry warned of the consequences of continued violations against Palestinians and their religious sites, urging the international community to take urgent action to halt these attacks. Qatar reiterated its firm stance on the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of Palestinians, including their right to practice religious rituals without restrictions and to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Israeli escalating policies in occupied Palestinian territories are undermining the religious and historical status of Al-Aqsa Mosque is an attack on Palestinians and millions of Muslims worldwide.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also condemned the Israeli forces’ actions and the permission granted to extremist settler groups to organize a provocative march through occupied Jerusalem. The OIC emphasized that Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine, is part of the territory occupied in 1967, rejecting any measures to impose Israeli sovereignty over the city and its holy sites, deeming them illegal under international law and UN resolutions.
